Supreme Court softens stand on NCERT judiciary chapter, says harsh remarks against academicians will be removed

The Supreme Court on Friday assured three academicians linked to the now-removed Class 8 NCERT sub-chapter titled “Corruption in Indian Judiciary” that it would delete certain strong observations earlier made against them, including remarks questioning their academic integrity and suggesting that institutions may hesitate to engage them professionally.

According to ANI, the assurance came from a Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi during the hearing of the matter connected to the controversial textbook content.

The Bench clarified that the Court’s earlier observations in the suo motu proceedings were directed at the “content” included in the NCERT textbook and not against the individuals who prepared it.

“We knew that the observations were harsh. We knew it affected them. In response to that, we are deleting those portions,” Justice Bagchi observed during the hearing as reported by ANI.

Court says concern was over presentation of judiciary

Senior Advocates Shyam Divan, Gopal Sankarnarayanan, and J. Sai Deepak, appearing for the academicians, urged the Court to remove remarks that allegedly damaged the professional credibility of their clients. The counsels argued that the academicians had “zero intent” to malign the judiciary.

The Supreme Court, however, clarified that it was never opposed to academic discussion on the judiciary. The concern, the Bench said, was the manner in which the textbook content projected corruption as if it were a defining or exclusive feature of the judicial system.

The Bench noted that the chapter lacked balance and failed to present the broader role played by the judiciary in ensuring access to justice.

‘Balanced approach missing in pedagogical content’

The Court also advised academicians to maintain restraint and responsibility while preparing educational material related to constitutional institutions.

The judges observed that educational content on sensitive subjects should reflect sobriety and respect for the justice delivery system as well as the constitutional framework.

Justice Bagchi pointed out that several important aspects were ignored in the chapter, including legal aid initiatives, access to justice mechanisms, and the role of judges in strengthening legal services for citizens.

“Access to justice through legal aid, the role of judges in legal services, and legal aid were completely ignored,” Justice Bagchi remarked.

Controversial chapter had triggered suo motu proceedings

The controversy began after the inclusion of the sub-chapter “Corruption in Indian Judiciary” in an NCERT Class 8 textbook sparked objections. The Supreme Court had subsequently taken suo motu cognisance of the issue and passed strong observations against those involved in preparing the content.

The sub-chapter was later removed. During Friday’s brief hearing, the Court acknowledged that some of its earlier remarks may have gone too far and assured the academicians that the harsh portions would be deleted from the record.

(With inputs from ANI)